Chicago police have been busy making four unrelated burglary arrests in recent weeks across Lakeview and Lincoln Park. These cases unfolded in the overnight and early morning hours, as reported in court records.
The first arrest involved 28-year-old Justin Hollie-Bland, who was charged with burglary, aggravated unlawful possession of a weapon, and possessing a controlled substance. This incident occurred while he was already on pretrial release for a previous burglary. On September 3 around 3 a.m., officers responded to a trespassing call in the 600 block of West Buckingham in Boystown. A resident had received a home-security alert and saw a man matching Hollie-Bland’s description enter the building, then walk out carrying a bin and a massage table. Police found him about a block away, allegedly carrying both items. A loaded pistol was recovered from his backpack, along with packets of heroin from his pants pocket. Hollie-Bland was detained by Judge Ankur Srivastava.
Less than a month earlier, on August 11, Hollie-Bland was arrested for a burglary in the 1700 block of West Belmont. Police spotted him peering into a residential building near Belmont and Sheffield around 3:23 a.m. They stopped him and found items addressed to another man who lived nearby. Video footage showed him forcing his way into the Belmont building’s lobby and removing a package. Police also found suspected methamphetamine in his backpack and several debit, credit, and identification cards that did not belong to him. Hollie-Bland has entered guilty pleas in both cases and has been sentenced to 24 months of “second chance probation.”
On the same day as Hollie-Bland’s arrest, 30-year-old Kevin Lemire was arrested for attempting to break into a woman’s apartment on West Roscoe Street. He then tried to force his way into the downstairs neighbor’s unit with a six-inch buck knife. Lemire claimed he believed he was part of a spy movie in a post-apocalyptic world and did not consider the legality of his actions. He faces charges of attempted home invasion with a dangerous weapon, residential burglary, and attempted residential burglary.
In a separate case, 53-year-old David Phillips was charged with burglary for breaking into a building on West Surf Street and stealing packages from the mailroom. Phillips was released on the burglary charge but remains detained on an unrelated warrant.
The fourth arrest involved 54-year-old Miller Haymer III, who is charged with two counts of burglary for stealing bicycles from residential buildings. Surveillance footage captured him entering two buildings and stealing bicycles less than two hours apart. Haymer has multiple felony convictions for burglary dating back to 2001.
These arrests highlight the ongoing efforts of the Chicago Police Department to address burglary incidents in the Lakeview and Lincoln Park neighborhoods. Residents are reminded to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to law enforcement.
